The Bellatrix Beneath the Black
by VioletEnvy
Summary: Bellatrix Black has just graduated from school, and between an obsessive admirer, a suspicious recruiter for the Dark Lord, and the Dark Lord himself, she initiates life outside the security of Hogwarts' gates. Rated M for later chapters. Flames? Please?
1. Bellatrix Black

"A _gossip_ paper?" Bellatrix Black scowled at her colleague. "Who would read something like that?"

"Any _normal_ kids here at school, actually," Rita Skeeter answered, raising her nose in the air. She now realized, a bit too late, that Bellatrix Black's opinion was not the one she needed. All the girl ever talked about was obscure curses and blood purity.

Bellatrix barely heard the insult in Rita's remark. People usually thought she was a slow kid, because her attention span for conversation was rather low. The truth was, she was barely ever interested in idle conversation.

Rita Skeeter raised an eyebrow at Bellatrix's lack of response. It annoyed her how odd the girl was. She had never been seen either hexing or snogging other students, but Rita had the feeling that she did plenty of both, but as covertly as a true Slytherin should.

"Really, everyone wants to read about gossip, Bella," Rita went on, deliberately using the girl's nickname to try and get an angry spark from her. "The problem is, the _Slytherins_ have the juiciest secrets, and as a Slytherin _myself_, I'm supposed to _keep_ these secrets. My colleagues would kill me if I told a Gryffindor about, you know, that _Andromeda_ girl..."

Bellatrix's head snapped up from the book she was reading, her eyes narrowed. She looked around and saw that the common room was empty, which was no surprise, since it was nearly half past midnight. "_Andromeda_?" she hissed.

Rita was actually surprised now. This was no new gossip. She had only meant to tease Bellatrix by implying she'd spread the gossip wider across school. Rita wondered if the girl didn't even talk to her younger sister.

"Why, haven't you heard? Andromeda Black is secretly dating Ted Tonks," Rita whispered to Bella, even though they were alone in the common room. Rita knew whispers added to the impact of gossip.

Bellatrix's eyes bulged. "_No_, he's just her study partner. Andromeda already told Druella and Cygnus that, after their OWLs, they'll no longer associate!" she said, urgently.

"Well, maybe they won't, but right now they are quite close associates," Rita said, in a calm voice. "Quite close."

"Who else knows?" Bellatrix asked, her eyes shifting around the empty room, looking slightly neurotic.

"Most of Hufflepuff and Slytherin, I reckon. They tried to keep it hushed, meeting secretly someplace. I still haven't found out where, though. But a secret this dirty can't be swept under a rug! Imagine, a Slytherin pureblood sleeping regularly with a muggle-born!" Rita said, beginning to ramble. Her mind didn't have much filter, and whatever she thought, she said, making her ramble constantly.

At Rita's last word, Bellatrix rose up fiercely, knocking her chair down. She stormed up the stairs to her room, knowing resentfully that Rita would be following soon. She lied down on her bed and pulled the curtains closed, still in her robes, thanking her ancestors that this was her last night in Hogwarts, ever.


	2. Rabastan Lestrange, Obsessive Admirer

"I wish _I_ were graduating Hogwarts too," said a small voice beside Bellatrix. It was a very glum voice, because Rabastan Lestrange had been pining for that witch ever since a boy is old enough to have wet dreams. He had spent the most wonderful couple of years by her side, because Bellatrix had finally allowed him to hang out with her – on her parent's orders, though he didn't know – and now it was over. She was going away, never to return.

Ever since he was a third year, Rabastan had been in love with Bellatrix. He only approached her in his fifth year, though, and after declaring his undying love for her, he received the most glorious scowl he ever saw. He started following her around, and though he was quite handsome, Bellatrix showed no interest in him. He was too sweet.

Andromeda teased her sister about it, and their parents seemed suddenly interested in this Rabastan Lestrange. He was tall, dark, and wealthy; he was the perfect husband for a Black family.

So, Rabastan had his wished fulfilled. When classes started after Christmas in his fifth year, Bellatrix stopped giving him the cold shoulder, and she actually became fond of him. She found out that as a man, he was as lacking as she thought– too sweet! –, but as a sort of friend, he excelled.

"Next year you'll be graduating too," Bellatrix said, dismissively. Her mind was still on her sister's betrayal, and she was staring at the flashing landscape outside the Hogwarts Express. Even if she weren't concentrated on her sister, she'd be cold, because his gooey feelings annoyed her deeply.

"I was thinking you could come over to my house next month, since I'll be turning seventeen," Rabastan ventured.

"Will there be a party?" she asked. She didn't like parties. The fake civility was exasperating. Everyone would smile and whisper when they really just wanted to scream, hex or fuck each other.

"Well, yes, but," Rabastan began. He knew she didn't like parties, but there was no escaping one, his mother would insist. "But, maybe, you could just come by later. After the party."

"No, I'll go to your party, Rabastan," she sighed. _Her_ mother would insist.

Rabastan smiled, but said nothing more. His first impulse would've been to thank her, but he'd noticed along the years she didn't take well to that.

"Do you know my sister, Andromeda?" the witch asked, suddenly.

"Yes, I mean, I've heard of her. She's a year younger than me, right?" Rabastan blushed slightly. Sometimes, his wet dreams involved both sisters. They were so alike, and both so gorgeous, that imagining the two together was wonderland. But his heart belonged to Bellatrix, since she was the one who knew how to scowl beautifully. Besides, Andromeda acted like a commoner, not a true Black, and was dating a muggle-born. "Isn't she dating a muggle-born boy, Ted Tonks?"

"Yes," she scowled, making him melt into himself for a few seconds. "That slut."

"I know. It's pretty cheap of her." Rabastan said. Pureblood supremacy was as big a deal in the Lestrange family as in the Black family. "I'm actually relieved you don't approve, then maybe you can do something about it."

"What should I do, Rabastan?" she asked, a pout playing across her lips. Rabastan loved it when she said his name. "This just won't do. The Black family can't have this!"

"You probably won't be able to convince her, she was brought up getting what she wants. Maybe you could threaten _him_... Don't let her know about it, though."

Andromeda wasn't the most spoiled of the Black girls. Bellatrix was daddy's little girl, and Narcissa was everything her mother had ever wished for in a young lady, while Andromeda had always been just average. Nonetheless, Rabastan was absolutely correct; the girl would never be refused what she wanted.

"Oh, Rabastan! That's wonderful!" Bellatrix said, her black eyes glittering. She had taken to the boy because he was like an extension of her own mind. He was downright clever, and they had made innumerous furtive plans together during their friendship at Hogwarts. "Well, that's settled then!"


	3. Rodolphus Lestrange, The Recruiter

When Bellatrix arrived at the Lestrange Manor and pulled the knocker on the heavy door, she was actually glad she had agreed to come. Her time at home was driving her mad; her mother kept saying she had to find a nice husband now she'd graduated, and her father insisted the priority was finding a high position at the Ministry of Magic.

Despite not having any fixed objective in mind, neither option seemed to entice her. She wanted to do something dangerous and exciting, something more than just life itself. Bellatrix knew that she spent most her life scowling because she wasn't interested in anything at all. She enjoyed hating muggle-borns and studying obscure branches of magic, but she didn't have an actual passion for anything at all.

She felt a lack of emotion in her life.

Bellatrix blinked a couple of times when she noticed the door had swung open and a house-elf stood before her.

"Your name, Mistress?" he asked, curtly, bowing.

"Bellatrix Black."

In no time she was walking into a beautiful room and being ushered through long corridors, until she finally arrived at what must be the living room door. The house-elf opened it and announced her name to the people in it.

"Bella," Rabastan greeted her, a goofy smile pulling at his thin face. He hadn't believed she would come.

"Happy Birthday, Rabastan," Bellatrix said, unenthusiastically. She was looking around at the room, and noticed it was a bigger party than she'd expected. She wished she'd brought her family with her, but she'd thought it would be a small get-together.

"Come meet my family," Rabastan urged her. He held her hand for a second, but let go as they approached his family.

"Mother, Rodolphus, this is Bellatrix Black," he said, politely. "Bella, this is my mother, Rosamund Lestrange, and my brother, Rodolphus Lestrange."

Bellatrix smiled politely at his mother. She was a bit nauseated by the woman's flowery scent, but she seemed actually sweet, unlike most of the pureblood housewives. The woman was almost round, and her cheeks blazed an unseemly red.

Bellatrix then turned to Rodolphus, and was stunned at how different he was from Rabastan. Rodolphus had deep black eyes, and looked at down at her as if she were actually something to eat. He seemed like he could eat her, actually, what with his stature and bulk.

"It's a pleasure, Miss Black," Rosamund said, interrupting Bellatrix's appraisal of her son. "But I'm afraid I must take Rabastan away from you. There's someone he just _must_ meet!" In a swoop, the plumpness of a woman was gone, taking her young son, who had looked unhealthily lean next to his brother.

"So, Miss Black," Rodolphus asked, in a deep voice, "I suppose you're a Hogwarts student, along with my brother?"

"I've just graduated, actually," she answered, sparing her words as usual. She was trying to remember the color of Rabastan's eyes, which she thought might be somewhat amber, to compare to his brother's black ones.

"You must be looking for a job, then. Or maybe for a husband," he went on. His voice was a hypnotic monotone, unlike his brother's frenzied wavering voice. He didn't look as clever as Rabastan, but his image was still mesmerizing.

Bellatrix scowled, but it wasn't as true as it usually was. She was having unsettling doubts concerning her future, and her parents hadn't been helping.

"What did you do when _you_ graduated, Mr. Lestrange?"

"I looked around for a job, but nothing seemed right."

"Precisely what I'm going through," Bellatrix sighed. She would've spared effort to retort to his incessant questioning, but she was feeling unlike herself lately.

"Then, I followed in my late father's footsteps and discovered politics."

"_Politics_?" Bellatrix scowled. She's always believed politics was for the fat men who wanted to sit around all day and embezzle money.

"Not politics per se. I discovered that there were ideals in the world worth fighting for. We all believe in pureblood supremacy, obviously," he said, shooting a questioning glance at Bellatrix, who returned an eager nod, "but none of us defend it. We simply allow muggle-borns to take over our jobs, and our families!"

Bellatrix listened to the man in enraptured delight. Everything he said made sense. She'd always scorned politics, but that was because she thought it had nothing to do with her. The way muggle-borns were contaminating the society, as Rodolphus went on to put it, had everything to do with her. Just right now, her family's blood purity was put in check by Ted Tonks!

"I'm so sorry, I must be boring you, Miss Black," Rodolphus interrupted himself, after a long stream of insult towards muggle-borns. He could tell the witch wasn't bored; he'd actually never seen his speech have such an effect. He needed her worded approval, though, and then he might go on to tell her some of the confidential information and invite her into the circle.

"Not at all! You know, it isn't just the society the muggle-borns contaminate, it's also our bloodlines, which get, magic-wise, thinner!" Bellatrix exclaimed, nodding furiously. "Do you take part in a political party?"

That was all Rodolphus needed to know she was the ideal recruit. "Well, we're not a party. You see, we believe that we'll never achieve what we want by political means. We intend," he paused, shifting his eyes theatrically around them, "to impose pureblood supremacy by force."

Bellatrix froze for a moment and Rodolphus thought he might've been wrong. "Force?" she asked, rolling the word in her mouth, as if literally tasting the idea. Images flashed across her mind of storming Ted Tonks' house and therefore ensuring her family's purity. "Yes," she hissed, and Rodolphus then knew he had definitely scored.

"You should come to one of our meetings," he said, quietly. "But you can't tell Rabastan yet."

Rabastan was approaching them, looking wary. He had noticed how Bellatrix had hung on to his brother's every word, and he felt jealous. She had never responded like that to him, or to anyone; she was usually dismissive of most things.

"I'm glad you're getting along," he lied, with an easy smile. Lying to Rodolphus was second nature, because Rabastan didn't trust his brother. "Are you enjoying the party, Bella?"

Bellatrix scowled at the mention of a party. She'd almost forgotten where she was. "Yes, but where are all the men? There's no party without men," she jeered.

"I'll take you to a real party someday, then, Bella," Rodolphus said, easing his strong features into a light smirk.

Rabastan winced at his brother's use of Bellatrix's nickname, and at her apparent approval of this. He feared his brother would take the only woman he could ever love away from him, like he'd taken everything else. "She doesn't like parties, do you, Bella?"

"I don't believe I've ever been to a real party, actually," she replied, flirtatiously smiling at Rodolphus. She wasn't interested in him, but she loved the way it made Rabastan visibly suffer. It was pure pleasure to see Rabastan's eyes widen into an amber pool in his thin face, and to know she was the reason for his agony. "Maybe Rabastan could tag along."

Rodolphus laughed derisively, barely sparing a look at his brother, who was being cut off from the dialogue almost completely. "He's far too young!"

"I'm quite young too! You offend me," she pouted, feeling none too offended.

"You're young, but gorgeous."

Bellatrix laughed in delight, but Rabastan looked pained, so she decided to draw the line. She was always careful to maintain him by her side; she hurt him, but never enough to make him leave her. He was a reliable friend – probably her only friend – and she couldn't afford to lose him.

"Come on, my sweet," she said to Rabastan, thinking it was a pity he was _too_ sweet, "show me around your house. No one will miss us before dinner begins. Excuse us, Rodolphus."

Rodolphus looked positively deflated. He had been thinking she would make a nice partner, especially if she was accepted into Lord Voldemort's circle. Rabastan still looked a bit somber, and he shot his brother an attempted deadly glare before taking the witch's hand and leading her out from the dining room.


	4. Useless Warning

"Bella," Rabastan said, after closing his bedroom door, "there's something I have to talk to you about."

"I thought you were going to show me your house, not your bedroom," she scowled, but she sat on the end if his bed anyway.

The boy blushed; he hadn't quite realized they were in a bedroom – _alone_. "I'm sorry; I just wanted some privacy, really." His eyes flickered to the bed for an instant.

"Well, yes; the sorts of things you want to do are generally done in private," she teased, crossing a leg over the other.

"Really, Bella, it's important. It's about Rodolphus." He looked at her, waiting for a response. Getting no reaction but a cock of an eyebrow, he went on, "I don't think you should get involved with him."

"I suppose you want me to get involved with you instead?" she asked, rolling her eyes. She didn't like being told what to do, and absolutely _hated_ being told what _not_ to do.

"That's not what I mean. Rodolphus has been affiliating with some odd people lately."

Bellatrix frowned slightly, remembering Rodolphus' request not to tell his brother anything.

"I know about his 'political reunions', Bella, and I must tell you they are a far shot away from political. I do believe in pureblood supremacy, but I think Rodolphus and his friends might be taking the issue to an unnecessary extreme.

There have been mysterious disappearances and awful murders, the victims always being muggle-borns or blood traitors. You must've heard the rumors about a Lord Voldemort, and whatever you've heard, it's mostly true. And Lord Voldemort is my brother and his friends' leader. That's why I don't trust him, Bella.

Last year, Rodolphus and my father went to one of their political reunions – they'd been going together for a couple of years. Rodolphus returned home badly injured, refusing to go to St Mungo's; my father, though, didn't even return."

Bellatrix was quiet for a few minutes, analyzing Rabastan's worried face. Had he spoken as he usually did – stuttering – she might've interrupted him, telling him that he was overreacting and that Lord Voldemort was no more than a rumor. The seriousness with which he had spoken though, urged her to believe everything he'd said as facts.

"Lord Voldemort?" she asked, feeling her heart pound in her chest.

Rabastan's heart sunk, as he realized he had just made his brother all the more interesting. He nodded hurriedly.

"Tell me more, Rabastan!" she squealed excitedly, jumping to her feet and grabbing the boy by his arms, "Tell me about Lord Voldemort!"

Horrified, he shook away from her hold and reached for the door. "We should go back, dinner will be any minute now," he said.

"No!" she demanded, "I want to know about Lord Voldemort!"

"Hush, Bella! No one must know about this!"

Her eyes widened and she took hold of his left arm, hugging it tightly to herself, "I'm so sorry! No one must know! You're right, let's go back."

Rabastan turned his face away from her as he led her to the dining room, regretting having invited her to his house at all and feeling as if he'd just lost her for good.


	5. The Arrival of the Letter

"Andromeda, if you don't give me that letter back, I'll curse so many permanent zits onto your face not even that muggle-born Tonks will want to snog you!"

"He's my study partner and you know it!"

"Oh, do I? Give me the letter back, and then Cygnus and Druella won't find out what the whole of Hogwarts already knows," Bellatrix sneered.

"What does the whole of Hogwarts know?" asked Druella Black, as she entered the living room. Her eyes darted manically from one daughter to the other, until they finally stopped on Andromeda, who visibly paled.

"Nothing, Mother," she stammered, handing a neat envelope to her sister, "I was just teasing Bella about getting another letter from a man."

"Is that so?" the mother interrogated, sounding less accusing and more interested now. "Is it still that Lestrange boy, Bella? I'm glad you've been writing to each other weekly, it fortifies your relationship."

"No, the letter is from Rodolphus Lestrange. Seems as if one brother wasn't enough for Bella!" Andromeda teased, trying to swerve the attention from her love life to Bellatrix's.

"Bellatrix Black, I hope you are not courting both boys, or you might end up with none!" Druella reproached her eldest daughter.

"I can handle my own affairs, Druella, thank you," Bellatrix answered, rolling her eyes. "Besides, you know Rabastan and I are only friends, like Ted Tonks and Andromeda are only friends."

"You are still acquainted to that boy?" Druella cried, swerving her head to Andromeda, her blue eyes bulging in her tight skin. Her head was slightly tilted to the left, as it always was when the subject of Ted Tonks arose in the house.

Smirking at the once again pale Andromeda, Bellatrix left for her room, abandoning her sister to her mother's paranoid wrath. She was clutching the letter tightly; she hadn't expected Rodolphus to contact her so soon after his brother's party – it had only been a couple of days.


	6. Letters

July 5th, 1969  
Bellatrix,  
Come to our reunion tonight, at Nott's house. You might remember him from Hogwarts. He graduated the year before you did. He lives alone. Most meetings are at his house.  
Don't tell Rabastan.  
Address is at the end of parchment.  
Rodolphus Lestrange.

July 6th, 1969  
Dear Bella,  
I miss you already.  
Love,  
Rabastan.

July 6th, 1969  
Bellatrix,  
Everyone loved you at the reunion. You looked great.  
Write back. I want to know what you thought of us.  
Rodolphus Lestrange.

July 8th, 1969  
Rodolphus,  
The meeting was unbelievable. I don't think I've ever met so many people who think like I do.  
Please keep me updated on any more reunions you'll have; I'd love to attend frequently.  
Bellatrix Black.

July 8th, 1969  
Rabastan,  
I think I might start attending regularly your brother's meetings. He's not aware that you know so much about these meetings. I don't believe he's aware that I know so much about these meetings.  
Let's not tell him we know.  
I do hope he'll invite me into his circle, even though most people there are idiots. Tell him about how much I loathe muggle-borns whenever you can!  
My regards,  
Bella.

July 13th, 1969  
Dear Bella,  
I wish I could see you and tell you in person how much of a bad idea I think this is.  
Take care of yourself around these people; I can imagine their dirty eyes crawling over you as if you were fresh meat.  
I dreamt about you yesterday; you were beautiful.  
Love,  
Rabastan.

July 15th, 1969  
Bellatrix,  
I'm glad you liked the last reunion. There will be another one tomorrow night. Everyone is expecting you at Nott's house.  
Rodolphus Lestrange.

July 17th, 1969  
Rabastan,  
Don't worry about me; I can take care of myself. Most of your brother's friends are positively stupid, anyway.  
At the reunion, yesterday, I got to know most of them better. I think you might remember some of them from school, though they're older. All of them were Slytherins, which guarantees their blood purity, if not their intelligence.  
I don't care about them so much, though. You know who I really want to meet. Do you reckon the letters are safe?  
My regards,  
Bella.

July 20th, 1969  
Dear Bella,  
Yes, the letters are safe. I sometimes listen outside my brother's door – he never writes or reads anything without saying it out loud – and he writes highly incriminating things. No Ministry employee has ever knocked here, and I don't think any ever will.  
Most of my brother's friends are untrustworthy. I remember Macnair from school: he was infamous for abusing his Prefect position. My brother often writes to him, sometimes about you.  
You should hear what he says about you, it's revolting.  
I wish you would wipe Lord Voldemort from your mind and concentrate on better things.  
I miss you so much, right now.  
Love,  
Rabastan.

July 23rd, 1969  
Bellatrix,  
Tomorrow night, Nott's house.  
You are beautiful. No one can stop talking about you.  
Rodolphus Lestrange.

July 25th, 1969  
Rabastan,  
Tell me what your brother writes.  
My regards,  
Bella.

July 26th, 1969  
Dear Bella,  
I don't want to repeat what my brother says.  
You've been to three meetings so far; hasn't it been enough? I know this won't have the effect I wish it had, but I must tell you that my brother is considering taking you to Lord Voldemort soon.  
Are you sure this is what you want?  
Love,  
Rabastan.

July 27th, 1969  
Dear Bella,  
I miss you so much, right now.  
Love,  
Rabastan.

July 29th, 1969  
Rabastan,  
I wish I could roll my eyes on paper.  
Yes, this is what I want. The sooner I meet Him, the better. Your brother's friends are mostly mindless idiots, but I know that Lord Voldemort must be an amazing man to be behind such ideas.  
This is what I want.  
Tell me what Rodolphus writes!  
My regards,  
Bella.

July 29th, 1969  
Rodolphus,  
It's been the best month of my life. I love coming to the reunions and talking to your friends about ways of ridding society of mudbloods. I already consider you my friends.  
I can't help feeling like you're keeping something from me, though. Is there something else I should know?  
Bellatrix Black.

August 3rd, 1969  
Bellatrix,  
You are such a clever girl!  
Yes, there is something you should know.  
Come to the Carrows' house the day after next for lunch. We will tell you everything.  
Rodolphus Lestrange.

August 3rd, 1969  
Dear Bella,  
You must already know my brother is arranging for you to meet Him. He is a very powerful wizard.  
I miss you so much, and you're only a letter away from me. I couldn't bear it if something happened to you, so please, take care.  
Love,  
Rabastan.

August 7th, 1969  
Rabastan,  
Lunch at the Carrows' was excruciating. The twins always seem giddy, and giggle ceaselessly at anything.  
Everyone else looked tense as they shouted out directions about how to behave in His presence. As I thought, they don't treat him as they do each other, with intimacy bordering irreverence. The rules are strict and detail absolute respect.  
There will be another reunion at Nott's house in seven days, and then they'll arrange a date for me to meet the Dark Lord.  
Don't worry about me; you concern is nauseating!  
My regards,  
Bella.

August 11th, 1969  
Dear Bella,  
You speak of a meeting with a powerful and potentially dangerous Dark wizard as if it were a date.  
I wish you could scowl at me now.  
Love,  
Rabastan.

August 17th, 1969  
Rabastan,  
In a few weeks I'll be meeting the Dark Lord. If He accepts me I'll become a Death Eater. I'm sure you've overheard your brother writing about Death Eaters, they are His followers.  
I'm surprised you haven't told me all this before; you are very sneaky.  
My regards,  
Bella.

August 18th, 1969  
Dear Bella,  
You know I would never tell you something that involved you further in this.  
I've stopped dreaming about you, but that's because I can't sleep when I'm worrying so much.  
Love,  
Rabastan.

August 28th, 1969  
Rabastan,  
It's tomorrow.  
My regards,  
Bella.


	7. One New Death Eater, Two Dead Muggles

"Miss Black," the icy voice greeted Bellatrix, but she couldn't see who spoke. They were alone in a room; He was sitting on a huge green armchair, facing the fireplace across from the door in front of which the witch stood.

"My Lord," she said, bowing and feeling foolish since he could not see her.

"What have you come here for, Miss Black?" he asked, still not facing her.

"To become a Death Eater, My Lord," she answered, puzzled.

"Are you aware of what being a Death Eater entails?"

"I am. I wish to become your servant in the fight for pureblood supremacy."

"How do you intend to ensure pureblood supremacy?"

"By means of force," she said, recalling the first time she had spoken to Rodolphus.

"You seem sure of yourself, Miss Black," he said, rising from the armchair and revealing to Bellatrix the pale back of his bald head. He turned slowly, a small smile on his lipless cruel mouth. "Once Marked, there is no turning back."

Bellatrix gasped at the sight of the man. The others had told her he looked unnatural, but she wasn't quite ready for how disfigured his features were.

"Do you regret yourself already, Miss Black?" he asked. "There are prices to be paid for power; I was willing to pay them."

"Forgive me, My Lord, I meant no disrespect. Your face inspires awe; I have never met such power as yours."

"You know it is no use lying to me; I am a Legilimens."

"I am not lying."

Voldemort looked the witch over carefully, his red eyes narrowed.

At his pause, Bellatrix's eyes heated over and her voice became urgent with desire, "Mark me, My Lord."

Bellatrix was not lying about her beliefs, and Rodolphus had described her as an extremely capable witch. She seemed like a valuable ally, and he was sure he would not regret enlisting her as a Death Eater.

"Roll up your sleeve, Miss Black," he ordered, walking towards her and drawing his wand.

Bellatrix extended her left arm and rolled up the sleeve of her robe. Her heart pumped as the man walked towards her. He was so pale and smooth he looked like a marble statue of some obscure ancient god.

He instructed her to hold her wand against her left biceps with her right hand, and he in turn took hold of her right arm. He placed the tip of his wand on her left forearm and looked at her.

Bellatrix looked into his red eyes and could feel nothing but the icy touch of his thin fingers on her arm. She closed her eyes for a second, reveling in his light touch and listening to his voice murmuring incantations.

"Morsmordre Derma," he spoke, ending the long string of incantations.

Pain burned suddenly in Bellatrix's forearm, and her eyes flew open, resting on his red ones once more. The persistent pain was making heat waves flow through her body, and his cold fingers felt more than ever welcome against her burning skin.

Voldemort's eyes were locked on hers too, and he seemed to be enjoying her pain and the sound of her heaving breaths; his lips were almost sketched into a smile and his red eyes glowed.

Bellatrix felt her knees give way under the unending pain in her forearm and her hairline was wet with sweat. She buckled and slipped onto her knees, white spots blurring her vision of Voldemort, who still held her arm but remained standing.

"My Lord," she whispered, and her words were followed by a gasp as the pain suddenly ceased along with his hold on her, making her slump onto the floor, her body bent over her knees.

"My Lord," she repeated, feeling a lingering ache across her body and allowing her heavy eyes to close. "Thank you," she murmured, barely audibly, and slipped into unconsciousness right before Voldemort left her lying alone in the fire lit room.

Only when the morning sunlight streamed into the room did Bellatrix wake up from her dreamless, exhausted sleep. Her body throbbed from the pain it had been submitted to the night before and from the time spent on the hard wooden floor.

Her black eyes squinted around the room, but it was completely empty. She twisted herself into a more comfortable position, sitting cross-legged on the floor facing the open doorway.

She pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes, like she always did when she woke up. When she lowered her arms and opened her eyes, she caught a glimpse of her left forearm. On it was the drawing of a skull and a snake in what looked like dark black ink.

Touching the Mark lightly, she noticed that the skin under it was colder than the skin around it, and her fingers tingled softly with the magic which was now imbued in her body.

Bellatrix tried her legs and found that she could walk in spite of the ache in her muscles. She felt around her body for bruises, and, in finding none, noticed that she hadn't her wand with her.

She spotted he wand by her feet, and just as she bent down to grab it, she heard a high voice issuing from the doorway.

"Howard, you come here this instant!"

A woman in fancy Muggle clothes stood in the doorway with the deadliest non-magical look on her face. She had her hands on her hips and scowled at Bellatrix when the witch looked up at her, bent halfway to reach for her wand.

"Seems as if Howard forgot to dismiss you last night, huh?"

Bellatrix grabbed her wand and straightened up at the same time a man appeared behind the woman in the doorway.

"What is it, honey?" he asked.

The woman walked into the room and pulled Bellatrix's hair in a flash of movement, "I'll tell you what it is, Howard: it's another one of your sluts!"

"Slut?" Bellatrix shrieked, "_Incarcerous!_"

The blonde woman flew back, bound in ropes and calling her husband's name repeatedly.

"Do something, Howard!" she screamed, expecting him to handle the situation neatly, which would be pretty much impossible.

"Yes, Howard, do something," Bellatrix said, but before he could move his bulky body any which way or close his gaping mouth, she pointed her wand at him, "_Aresto Momentum_."

The man tried to turn around, but his movements were stupidly slow, and his wife's screaming went on ceaselessly.

"Aren't you going to help your darling wife, Howard?" Bellatrix asked. "Look, she's _dying_ to speak to you." She aimed her wand at the woman's head, "_Incendio!_"

Flames erupted around the blonde Muggle, and her yellow hair gave way to red flames. The fire crackled loudly while Bellatrix doubled over in laughter, relishing the squirming woman's screams.

"_Howard!_" the burning woman shrieked. "Come back, you fat pig!"

Howard's eyes widened and his arms moved slowly up, as he tried to flail his arms in panic.

"Well, that's not very polite!" Bellatrix scowled at the woman. "Howard, if you could move, would you help the screaming bitch?"

Howard stopped trying to move altogether, and his eyes seemed to shift frantically around the room, still neglecting his wife's order to do something.

"I didn't think so," the witch said. She narrowed her eyes in concentration and aimed her wand at the fat pig, the shrieking bitch's husband, the filthy Muggle, "_Avada Kedavra_!"

A flash of green light erupted from her wand, and the immobile man stiffened completely for millisecond, before collapsing lifelessly to the floor.

"Yes," Bellatrix exclaimed, licking her lips leisurely, before snapping her head back to the flaming woman. "As for you," she aimed her wand at the woman's clothes, "_Incendio_!"

The whole woman was now a ball of flames, and, though she was no longer held back by ropes, she could do nothing but scream and squirm on the floor, her head completely consumed in flames.

Bellatrix looked at the woman on the floor, who no longer shouted her husband's name, but a series of unintelligible sounds; she smiled easily, "Your voice sounds lovely when you're not swearing at me."

The witch sat on the green armchair, trailing her fingers on her recently acquired Dark Mark, and looked on as the Muggle tried to flop nearer to the door. She raised her wand once more, but didn't aim it at the woman. "_Incendio_," she said, lighting the fireplace, "Great way to set the mood, don't you think?"

Laughing, Bellatrix stood up and, with utmost deliberation, Disapparated from the house.


	8. Splinched!

"Bella," Rabastan exclaimed when he opened the door to the Lestrange Manor. "What-,"

"Splinched," Bella interrupted the boy, while holding her arms around her bare chest.

The boy opened the door wider and led her through the house to his room, not meeting her eye.

"You're lucky I hadn't left yet, or the elf would have opened the door and called for Rodolphus," he joked.

"Where were you going?" she asked as she unwound her arms from her bare chest and removed her robe sleeves, which were all that remained of her upper body's clothing. "Transfigure these back into a robe," she then demanded, handing the sleeves over to him.

"Diagon Alley, for school supplies," he said, taking his wand from his robes and waving it around the robe sleeves. "Here, put it back on."

"Such a gentleman; I'm standing half-naked in your room and you won't even look at me." She flopped herself onto his bed, feeling suddenly tired. "Lay beside me."

Rabastan decided to ignore the witch; she became flirtatious in a detached way when she was tired. "Just put it on and tell me what happened." He threw her robes on the bed unceremoniously.

"I got Marked."

"I can see that." She was, after all, still half-naked. "Why did you splinch yourself?"

"I can Apparate!"

"I know, Bella; that's why I'm asking."

"I can, you know, Apparate." She sounded drunk; the fatigue was weighing down on her eyelids and she was still struggling to put the robes over herself.

The boy paused a second with his mouth slightly open. She was exhausted; trying to talk would be useless.

"I'm going to Diagon Alley. Rest here; I'll be back before you wake."

"Don't splinch yourself!" she murmured, without opening fully her lips. Her eyes were completely closed now; she was probably already sleeping. "Apparate."

"The room is warded; you shouldn't walk out of it or you won't get back in." He paused, looking at the half-naked witch lying twisted on his bed.

She had given up on the robes, and had her hands resting over her breasts, to ineffectively cover them. "Wait for me, Bella."

In his head, he saw the exact same scene, but imagined a different, more romantic, prelude to it.


	9. Cheese? Laurel Leaves!

It had barely been half an hour since Rabastan left when knocking interrupted Bellatrix's sleep.

"Rabastan? Open up!" said a deep voice. "Now!"

Bellatrix produced an irritated scowl that quickly turned into a yawn. She walked over to the door and stood before it, smoothing out her robes, before swinging it open. "Yes, Rodolphus?"

Rodolphus stood there, with one hand ready to knock and surprise stamped across his handsome face. Quickly composing himself, he smiled at the witch. "Bellatrix, I was looking for you."

She leaned against the doorframe. "Yes?" she repeated.

Rodolphus opened his mouth to speak, but said nothing. He looked behind her, into the empty bedroom and smiled once more. "Where is Rabastan?"

"Are you looking for him or for me, after all?"

His eyes narrowed fractionally for just a second. "For you, Bellatrix." His yellow smile was still fixed on his face. "But you are aware that, even though your relationship with my brother seems to have progressed, he is not to know about the Death Eaters, right?"

"Such formality!" she scowled. "There was no progression of relationship, and Rabastan knows nothing of our ventures." She waved her hand in the air.

Rodolphus didn't answer, though his face budged into an easier smile.

"He's gone to Diagon Alley," Bellatrix assured the wizard, fighting against the exasperation in her voice.

Rodolphus now seemed completely at ease, and he allowed his gaze to sweep over the witch's frame. "You Splinched yourself."

(_I can Apparate!_) "No, I didn't," she lied.

Rodolphus reached into his robes and pulled out some pieces of cloth: her Splinched robes.

(_Oh…_) "It's not mine," she went on lying.

"It's normal to Splinch after receiving the Mark. You were already strained, and then you even dealt with the Muggles. Most new Death Eaters would have used memory charms and left."

"So the Muggles were supposed to be there?"

"It's a test. During the official Marking the Dark Lord will read your memories of the day and decide on your initial position in our ranks based on them."

Bellatrix lowered her eyes to the floor, considering the recent news and hoping they meant she'd see the Dark Lord again, soon. "Official Marking?"

"A party with the other Death Eaters," Rodolphus answered, smiling widely. "With drinks, masks and Muggles."

"Muggles?" Bellatrix scowled.

"For entertainment," he whispered, and, as he leaned closer to Bellatrix, his eyes caught the light and glittered like a child's.

"Entertainment?" Bellatrix echoed, feeling his excitement contaminate her before she realized she had been mindlessly repeating him for quite a while. She cleared her throat and smiled, not losing the giddy feeling he was passing on through his shining eyes.

(_When will I see Him?)_ "When is my Official Marking?"

"Tonight; that's why I was looking for you, Bellatrix."

(_Tonight?_) Bellatrix bit her tongue to keep from repeating him once again. "Where?"

"At the Carrows'. Their basement is unbelievable."

The witch wrinkled her nose and lowered her eyes to the floor, remembering the Carrows' living room and how it reeked of cheese. Cheese… Her stomach audibly complained of hunger at the thought of food.

Cheese…

Laurel leaves?

When Bellatrix looked up at Rodolphus she noticed how close he was, and how distinctly he smelled. He smelled of laurel leaves; so much better than the Carrows' living room, even though she would love some cheese right now…

Laurel leaves…

Cheese?

"Bella?" he whispered.

Laurel leaves! Bellatrix felt a slight shiver at the intimacy his voice held when he whispered her name. "Yes?"

Looking up through her eyelashes, Bellatrix felt Rodolphus' eyes boring into her, with deviousness as their clear intent. He pulled her away from the doorframe, on which she still leaned, and pinned her back to the wall, holding her arms in place.

"Rodolphus…" she whispered back at him.

He answered by pressing his body against hers, and lowering his lips to her neck, kissing it lightly.

She let her eyes close, and soon Rodolphus was kissing her lips and slipping his tongue into her mouth. She moved her body under his and tried to free her arms from his grip.

He responded pressing her arms harder against the wall and grinding his hips against her forcibly. "Shh, Bella," he teased against her lips, feeling her squirm under him.

Scowling, Bellatrix brought her lips to his ear and bit its lobe viciously while moaning. "Tasty," she breathed into his ear.

Rodolphus smiled and let go of her arms, but still pressed himself against her body.

Bellatrix cocked an eyebrow and pushed him away from her, allowing her hands to stay on his shoulders. "Take me out to lunch," she demanded. "I want to hear more about the Death Eaters."

Rodolphus smiled at her eagerness and grabbed her hand, thinking of all the praise he'd get for recruiting such a witch.

-/-

A/N: Not the chapter I aimed for. I feel like I'm just filling space until I get Voldie and Bella together, muahaha! Review? Please? Love!


	10. Death Eater 101: Crucio!

"Remember, you have to mean it," Voldemort said, his cold breath grazing Bellatrix's ear. "You have to want it."

Bellatrix exhaled wearily as she contemplated the idea of attempting the curse once more. She was too tired; she could barely process His instructions any longer.

"I know you enjoy it," He went on. "You set a Muggle on fire, and waited beside her to hear her scream."

The witch held back the urge to argue.

"Didn't you like the screaming?" He asked silkily, placing a hand on her shoulder.

A smile crept on her face. She remembered the screaming ringing in her ears; she remembered the shivers that ran through her each time the Muggle stopped screaming and breathed in, only to resume crying louder and louder.

"Don't you miss it? The noise? Hasn't the world felt far too quiet ever since the noise stopped?" He paused a few seconds and then chuckled to himself. "Don't you want to make it start again?"

Bellatrix's breathing became faster as she heard Voldemort's words and locked her eyes onto the Muggle child who was bound to the wall before her. His eyes were red and occasional tears ran down his cheeks as he cried softly.

"He is young. Don't you want to know how his voice will sound?"

The boy's mouth was twisted into a fixed sad grimace. His Adam's apple bobbed with each repressed sob, but his slumped shoulders barely moved.

"Just say it," Voldemort said. "And mean it." He removed his hand from the witch's shoulder and took a few steps back.

Bellatrix raised her wand slowly, concentrating on the boy's sobs. She wanted the sobs to be noisier; she wanted the grimace to shift in his face; she wanted the shoulders to convulse. She wanted to see pain in his eyes, and hear pain in his voice.

"Just say it," Voldemort pressed on.

"Crucio!" Bellatrix exclaimed, feeling magic rush through her wand and shoot out of it, straight at the boy's gut.

The boy's mouth gaped open instantly, soundlessly, contorting his young face. His shoulders flew back with shock, and for what seemed an eternity, the boy hung stiff, silent, in midair.

Silent eternity lasted for half a second, until the boy's brain caught up with the rest of his body, and a sequence of yells rang through his throat. He screamed erratically; his voice went from high to low with no noticeable pattern, staying always loud.

Each shriek sent warm waves through Bellatrix's body. She licked her lips furiously as she felt her strength drain away, but insisted on maintaining the spell. She wanted to hear more, thinking that then, maybe, the heat would fill her completely.

"Enough, Bellatrix," Voldemort breathed behind her, sending cool air around her ears.

"No," she panted, gripping her wand tighter and willing more magic to flow out of it. "More!"

The boy's screaming started faltering as he became hoarse, while his body started twisting unnaturally.

"Bellatrix!" Voldemort hissed menacingly.

"Just a bit…" she said, her voice cracking as she lost her grip on the wand. She swayed, falling down to her knees and drawing quick breaths. "More…" she completed her sentence, before fainting onto the floor.

--- / ---

A/N: I want to thank my only reviewer so far, Victory87, you've been wonderful! I'm sorry I haven't been writing much, I hate that it took me so long to write this... I'll accept suggestions on where to take this from here. Love to my inexistent admirers!


	11. Proud?

"Good morning, my sweet, sweet thing!"

Bellatrix grunted an interrogation; her body was slowly stirring, and her mind was just being yanked out of sleep mode by some sort of screeching sound.

"Come down for breakfast, honey!"

"What?" she asked, using actual words this time. She couldn't possibly have awoken; this had to be a dream. Bellatrix's mother would never wake her up by entering the girl's room: she would send a house-elf or have intentionally loud fits right by the door. "Leave!"

"Yes, yes, you're right! After all, you're a lady now! I'm so proud of you! Andromeda doubted your intentions, but I always knew what you were doing! Yes, yes, I know, I'll leave! But come down soon, we have much to talk about! I'm so proud! A Lestrange! Yes! I'm so proud, darling! My little girl is a woman!" Druella exclaimed, making each word sound higher in tone than the previous one.

Bellatrix flung her body to a sitting position, wide-eyed and grunting interrogations, but her mother had already ceased her never-ending string of hurried words and left in an equally hurried pace. The girl looked around the room with uncertain eyes, as if the furniture would tell her some secret.

"Proud?" Bellatrix sneered, but her expression soon melted, and her heart started beating faster. "Proud?" she repeated in a whisper, slowly lifting her hands to her hair. The tips of her fingers rested on her hair, barely feeling it. She breathed in shallowly and closed her eyes, urging herself to find out. Heart pounding, Bellatrix ran her fingers through her hair.

She quickly lowered her arms and looked down, not knowing what to do. Her hair was thick and wavy, obviously, and her face was red with shame. What had she expected her hair to be? Blonde, straight and silky? If it were, she wouldn't be her… She'd be…

Bellatrix cleared her throat and stood up from the bed in a swift motion. She looked around her room and met her own eyes in the mirror. They were black, unlike Cissy's. Cissy's eyes were exactly like Druella's, and Cissy's manners were exactly like a lady's should be. Cissy was a daughter to be proud of.

Somehow, though, Druella was proud of Bellatrix today, even though she still didn't have blue eyes, or blonde hair.


End file.
